Shop

Stephen Chu

One day after announcing the Workplace Charging Challenge expansion for EV Everywhere at the Washington Auto Show, Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced some big personal news: he will resign, giving President Obama one more chair to fill in his second term. In his 3,700-word resignation letter that was made public today (and available below), Chu only briefly touched on electric vehicles (and only indirectly alluded to hydrogen in the phrase "science that could lead to the direct

The big policy announcement at today's Public Policy day at the Washington Auto Show came from Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The news is that President Obama's EV Everywhere program will be expanded to include a Workplace Charging Challenge, a plan to get more electric vehicle charging stations into more workplace parking lots. And the WCC is starting with a bang.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has long been a supporter of electric vehicles (EVs). A big one. So let's consider his most recent pro-EV statements in that context. Speaking during the annual U.N. climate talks in Cancun, Reuters reports, Chu said that battery-powered cars will start being competitive with gas-powered ones in about five years:

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu has been a strong proponent of using more ethanol in the American fuel supply for a long time. His department announced today that it is spending about $80 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money to fund advanced biofuels research for things like renewable gasoline/diesel and ethanol blends fueling infrastructure. Most of the money is going to just two groups, the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB), which

While the Automotive X Prize's raison d'être is to give out money to the best high-mileage vehicles and business plans in the $10 million contest, as the saying goes, it takes money to give out money. To that end, the AXP announced today that it has received $5.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. The funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is intended to "to support the X PRIZE Foundation's work to inspire a new generation of energy efficient vehicles" t

Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu is not getting his way in Washington. Recently (and, at this point, still allegedly) he said that he "would put every cent into electric cars." The Senate, though, has other plans and has now restored almost all of the hydrogen funding money that the DOE slashed in May. Back in July, the Senate hinted that it would fight back against the DOE cuts when the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee marked up the FY 2010 DOE budget and then r

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has a penchant for making some straightforward statements about energy policy. He's said that electric vehicles are inevitable, for example, and that all American cars should be E85-capable. Recently, he apparently said that "if it were up to me, I would put every cent into electric cars."

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has a penchant for making some straightforward statements about energy policy. He's said that electric vehicles are inevitable, for example, and that all American cars should be E85-capable. Recently, he apparently said that "if it were up to me, I would put every cent into electric cars."

Six Republican members of Congress have taken issue with DOE head Stephen Chu's call for all American vehicles to be E85-capable. Chu – who once said that ethanol, as it is made today, "is not the right crop for biofuels" – suggested the increase in flex-fuel availability during a speech in Des Moines, Iowa in late June. Congressmembers John Campbell (R - CA), Marsha Blackburn (R - TN), Bill Cassidy (R - LA), Lamar Smith (R - TX), Geoff Davis (R - KY), and Ken Calvert (R - CA) sent C

In early May, the U.S. DOE announced a $786.5 million "third-generation" biofuel program. Yesterday, ex-biofuel researcher Stephen Chu, the Energy Secretary, said that all cars made in America should be able to burn ethanol (E85). Earlier this month, Chu said electric vehicles were "inevitable."

In early May, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $786.5 million "third-generation" biofuel program. Yesterday, ex-biofuel researcher Stephen Chu, the Energy Secretary, said that all cars made in America should be able to burn ethanol (E85). Earlier this month, Chu said electric vehicles were "inevitable."

Biofuels was one of the major topics that surfaced at the American Association for the Advancement of Science last week. Nobel laureate Steven Chu called the need for alternative fuels "very pressing" as the economics of powering autos with gas is four times as expensive as plug-in electricity. Experts say biofuels will have a major impact on the energy economy within the next decade as other technologies, such as nuclear fusion, are too far away from commercial uses.